The Blue Bird Herd

As we head into preseason week 2, I want to pinpoint five players who I think could be in danger of taking a tumble down the depth chart if they don’t begin to display some urgency and distinguish themselves from the competition. For some of them, this might mean being cut altogether. For others, it may be a case of simply losing their starting role.

So here are five players that I would encourage you to keep your eye on this week:

1. Kevin Ellison - Ellison started the last nine regular season games and a playoff game last year for the Chargers, after being selected in the sixth round out of USC. But after an off-season of legal troubles to go with a knee injury, Ellison finds himself buried on the depth chart at strong safety, behind Lawyer Milloy, Jamar Adams and Kam Chancellor who, by the way, made a significant statement last weekend with some impressive hitting and a game-ending interception. With the way that Adams and Chancellor have been playing and practicing, Ellison can’t waste any time making a statement and needs to stand out this week if he wants to end up on the 53-man roster. This is just the climate of competition that Pete Carroll and John Schneider hoped to create when they brought Ellison in, and thus far, he hasn’t necessarily risen to the occasion. He needs a good game.

2. Julius Jones – Where do I begin? Although the blocking scheme certainly had its issues last Saturday, I’m just not seeing Jones’s running style as a good fit in this system. I think coaches and front office would like to believe that a guy with Jones’s build and speed would be an ideal cut-and-go back to complement the zone blocking scheme, but the contradictory facts are on video. He hesitates, hops and skips way too much to be consistently productive in this system and lacks the initial burst necessary to get through the line and into the second level of defenders on a consistent basis. He struggles, not only at hitting the holes, but seeing them. He’s indecisive, and simply dances too much. This is not the type of system where you need to break a 10-yard run every play. You spot the hole, make the cut, lower the shoulder and go. A 3 to 5-yard run consistently, is fine, and it just so happens that Justin Forsett, Leon Washington and Quinton Ganther all possess the necessary burst and running style to collaboratively succeed in such a scheme. Jones, to me, just should not factor into the equation. He’s really going to need a good game this week if he wants to remain in contention, not just for significant time, but for a roster spot. If he’s suddenly able to flip a switch and become a completely different runner than what he’s shown himself to be over the past two seasons, then more power to him. I am genuinely surprised that he’s still a Seattle Seahawk and would have bet against it, at the end of last season.

3. Colin Cole – It’s often tough to get a good read on how well a 1-technique (nose) tackle is truly performing in a 4-3, if you don’t know what to look for. The job of this guy is to be a run-plugger, which typically means controlling and holding his assigned gap (typically the “A” gap which is that space between the offensive center and guard) by using his strength, leverage and hands to shed his blocker and fill the running lane to defend against the run. To have a consistent impact from this position, it’s important to get off the snap quickly, so as to gain that leverage early in the play, and put one’s self in an advantages position where you’re controlling the blocker, putting him on his heels. Colin Cole is a big man, without a doubt, and at times has shown the ability to get leverage and close that gap.

Where I see him struggling, is with his quickness off the line which often inhibits his ability to get the push he needs to disrupt the backfield. His weight and lower body strength give him the luxury of being able to hold his ground, however, this puts him in more of a reactive position where he’s defending himself against his blocker, rather than proactively pursuing the runner and controlling his opponent. As a result, it seems like he loses sight of the runner at times and can’t react quickly enough to seal off the gap.

Watching Kevin Vickerson get off the snap so quickly last week was extremely encouraging to all of us…..except perhaps Colin Cole. Vickerson was beating blockers at the point of attack, shedding blocks quickly and penetrating gaps against both the run and the pass, and should legitimately be considered a competitor for the starting 1-technique defensive tackle.

4. Golden Tate - Tate isn’t necessarily in jeopardy of losing any particular spot on the depth-chart because like most rookies, he really hasn’t earned one yet. This is not to say that he’s in danger of being cut, because he most certainly is not.

In practice he’s looked great, but last week against Tennessee, I think we were all expecting to see a little more out of him. Where Tate struggles right now, is in his route-running. As he grows in knowledge of the offense, I certainly see the natural ability there to for him to be able to make the necessary corrections, but it’s going to take some time.

In the meantime, where Tate can have an immediate impact is with simple routes underneath or in the flat, where Matt can focus on simply getting the ball into his hands, and letting him use his elite explosiveness to make plays after the catch. This should boost his confidence significantly, and allow for the team to still utilize much of the value and play-making ability that he brings, while giving him time to learn some of these other skills and techniques.

He’s in no real danger in terms of losing a spot on the roster, but he’s certainly vulnerable to being 4 or 5 receivers deep on the chart with the way that Deon Butler and Mike Williams have been playing, as well as when considering that the coaching staff and Matt Hasselbeck seem to have an ever-increasing and utterly absurd affinity for throwing the ball to Deion Branch.

5. Kelly Jennings - Jennings struggles to make plays on the ball, plain and simple. He seems to have no problem staying with receivers and even getting into position to make deflections or interceptions. Then…he simply misses. This has been the story of Jennings’s career since he came into the league. He always seems to be right there when the ball arrives, but fails to consistently make the play and is vulnerable to getting beat by bigger, stronger receivers. He’s going to need to show an improvement in adjusting to balls that are in the air and prove that he can consistently hold his own in press coverage. Impressive rookie Walter Thurmond III is breathing down his neck, and Josh Wilson continues to show a knack for making the big play. Jennings could easily end up being the No. 4 cornerback on the depth chart if he doesn’t step it up. However, he could just as quickly end up the No. 2 cornerback if he can flip the switch.